A Yasha Clan saintess, dressed in colourful silk robes, carried a bronze tray bearing Rainy Night Jade Spirit Tea as she entered the temple. Upon hearing those words, her arms trembled lightly, and the bronze tray nearly slipped from her grasp.
Lord Ailian said, “Realm Venerable Ruochen, please refrain from joking. Given the current situation in the City of Hundred Clans, even if the Yasha Clan committed the full strength of our entire clan to an assault, we might not gain the upper hand.”
Zhang Ruochen took the teacup from the hands of the Yasha Clan saintess and asked, “What is the situation in the City of Hundred Clans now?”
Lord Ailian replied, “The armies of the Darkness Temple have stationed themselves there. Gods have arrived from the Temple of Destiny, Fengdu Ghost City, Qinglu Temple, Disha Ghost City, Tiannan Life-Death Ruins, Nether Temple, and all the other major forces.”
“In the city, the industries belonging to the Yasha Clan, the Blood Absolutes Family, the Demon Wolf Clan, and the Divine Maidens’ Twelve Mansions have suffered devastating blows. They are using the public case involving the Realm Venerable and Wuyue to purge dissidents, seize enormous profits, and ultimately gain control of the entire City of Hundred Clans.”
“If Realm Venerable Ruochen remains out of sight, that is one thing. But the moment you appear, you will face attacks from all sides.”
Although Zhang Ruochen did not know the precise details, he could imagine the bloodshed and misery. His fingers clenched involuntarily into fists.
Lord Ailian continued, “The Blood Absolutes War God’s position is also extremely precarious. He faces challenges from several clan leader candidates within the Undying Blood Race, and there are even rebellions from powerhouses inside the Blood Heaven Tribe. Even when his own son died in the City of Hundred Clans, he could not break away from the Blood Heaven Tribe to rush there.”
The Jade Spirit God said, “Zhang Ruochen, please gain a clear understanding of the situation outside before deciding. If you truly intend to charge straight into the City of Hundred Clans so recklessly, this god will absolutely refuse to cooperate with you any further.”
The fierce killing intent in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes suddenly vanished. He said calmly, “This Realm Venerable wishes to know exactly how arrogant these people have become.”
Thereupon, Lord Ailian recounted everything in detail: the destruction of thirteen Divine Maiden Towers, the heavy casualties suffered by the Divine Maidens’ Twelve Mansions, the killing of Xue Qingsheng, the utter annihilation of the Seven-Handed Elder in both form and spirit, the severe injuries to Xia Yu and the Blood Empress, the ambush on Prajna whose whereabouts remain unknown…
Behind every one of these tragedies lay an attack directed at Zhang Ruochen.
Since Zhang Ruochen himself did not appear, those people naturally turned their spears on the cultivators connected to him.
The Blood Absolutes Family had been thrust into the centre of the storm for three reasons. First, the Blood Absolutes War God had openly aided Zhang Ruochen and clashed with the Darkness Temple across the void.
Second, the Blood Absolutes War God had accumulated no small number of enemies in the Hell Realm. In the past, his status as heir to the clan leadership, combined with his own formidable combat strength, had deterred most forces from acting.
Now, with the Darkness Temple standing at the front and the banners of the Fengdu Emperor and Xutian raised high, everyone could see that the Blood Absolutes War God’s days were numbered. Those enemies naturally swarmed forward.
Third, the struggle for the clan leader position.
The internal interests of the Undying Blood Race were intricately tangled. The ten great tribes governed separately. Which tribe would not wish for one of its own gods to become clan leader?
Any truly powerful figure would naturally covet the position of clan leader of one of the Ten Great Clans of the Hell Realm. What immense power and temptation that represented.
In the end, even the ten realms won in the Ten Realms War had been seized. The rage in Zhang Ruochen’s heart could no longer be contained.
The Jade Spirit God had been watching Zhang Ruochen closely. She noted that, although his gaze grew ever sharper, he remained as steady as a divine mountain. His state of mind was truly extraordinary, far from that of a reckless or impulsive man.
Her glistening red lips parted. “Realm Venerable Ruochen, do you still believe we should charge directly into the City of Hundred Clans?”
Zhang Ruochen gave a cold laugh. “Fight. Of course we must fight. No matter the cost, we must fight.”
A trace of disappointment appeared on the Jade Spirit God’s face. She said irritably, “Even if the Dragon Lord intervenes and pins down the Lord of the Darkness Temple, with your cultivation, once you enter the City of Hundred Clans, those gods could each extend a single little finger and reduce you to ashes.”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Who said I would be alone? Is there not you as well?”
The Jade Spirit God huffed, her chest heaving with anger. “Do you think this god would commit such a foolish act as hurling an egg against a stone?”
“If you went to the City of Hundred Clans alone, it would indeed be hurling an egg against a stone. But if you go with me, the situation would be entirely different. For that would mean you represent a cultivator of Xing Huan Tian. Whatever the case, the City of Hundred Clans still lies within range of Senior Jiutian’s spiritual power attacks.”
He continued at once, “Brother Ailian also said earlier that numerous forces have gathered in the City of Hundred Clans, with gods from every major power present. In truth, this is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, it is a good thing. With so many forces, no one will dare to strike at me first. Everyone will hope that some other force will stick its neck out.”
A sly smile spread across the Jade Spirit God’s face. “Zhang Ruochen, oh Zhang Ruochen, you have finally revealed your tail. You wish to seize this chance to bring the Yasha Clan under your control, to bind us completely to Xing Huan Tian’s war chariot.”
Zhang Ruochen waved a hand. “Not control. There is no need for the Yasha Clan to submit. It would merely be deep strategic cooperation. Miss Han should understand clearly that Xing Huan Tian can stand unafraid of the Darkness Temple solely because of Senior Jiutian and the one in Xing Tian Ya. In terms of the number of gods or mundane forces, the Yasha Clan far surpasses us. How could we possibly swallow the Yasha Clan?”
These words caused both the Yasha Clan Leader and the Jade Spirit God to nod inwardly.
Xing Huan Tian’s mundane strength was not even a tenth of the Yasha Clan’s. Swallowing the Yasha Clan was simply impossible.
Moreover, Xing Huan Tian’s cultivators were predominantly human. They would not treat Yasha clansmen as food, as the Darkness Temple did.
If Zhang Ruochen truly brought the Yasha Clan under his control, in tens of thousands of years the vast numbers of Yasha clansmen might assimilate the entire Xing Huan Tian, turning it into the thirty-ninth realm of the Yasha Clan.
Zhang Ruochen went on, “Without borrowing the name of Xing Huan Tian, how could your Yasha Clan contend with the Darkness Temple? If you do not fight, will you truly hand over ten realms, thirty million divine stones, perhaps even the heads of the Clan Leader and the Realm Venerable, to beg for a卑微 existence as slaves for all eternity?”
The atmosphere in the temple grew considerably heavier.
The Jade Spirit God pondered, yet a trace of hesitation remained.
The Yasha Clan Leader, however, had long been burning with battle intent, his eyes cold as frost.
Zhang Ruochen continued, “Do you know what the greatest loss the Yasha Clan has suffered so far truly is? It is the prestige your successive ancestors accumulated over tens of millions of years in the star domain of the City of Hundred Clans. It is the pride of your billions of clansmen.”
“The Darkness Temple is trampling that prestige. They seek to break your backbone so that you can never stand tall again.”
“Those minor clans that depend on you, that acknowledge you as their elder brother, may now be suffering implication and oppression. Or they have lost faith in you, no longer fear you, no longer respect you.”
“Without the support of those minor clans, how can the Yasha Clan remain the foremost great clan in the City of Hundred Clans? How can it command universal response with a single call? That is your greatest loss.”
“If we do not fight this battle, the spirit of the Yasha clansmen will vanish. Even if you survive this crisis, the clan will only decline from now on. You gods represent the spirit of the Yasha Clan.”
“If I were in your place, even if I died in battle in the City of Hundred Clans, I would let every Yasha clansman see the courage and tragic heroism you display.”
“Even if self-detonating the divine source cannot kill the enemy, it must still make the enemy taste the pain of bloodshed. Provoking the Yasha Clan comes at a price.”
The Yasha Clan Leader let out a thunderous snort, like a peal of startling thunder. “Senior Jade Spirit God, this old man believes Realm Venerable Ruochen speaks with great reason. If we yield this time, the Yasha Clan will never stand tall again through all future generations.”
The Jade Spirit God cast a light glance at Zhang Ruochen. This young man truly had a silver tongue. He clearly wished to use the Yasha Clan against the Darkness Temple, yet somehow made the Yasha Clan feel gratitude towards him.
But did she have any choice?
Although many minor clans in the City of Hundred Clans had the shadows of Hell’s Ten Great Clans behind them, there were still numerous minor clans that obeyed the Yasha Clan’s commands completely.
If those minor clans saw the Yasha Clan in such a wretched and卑微 state, how could they possibly continue to heed the Yasha Clan in future?
Frost covered the Jade Spirit God’s exquisitely beautiful face. “If we truly wish to fight in the City of Hundred Clans, we must first accomplish one thing: seize the Guanyun Array Tower within the city. This array tower is the hub of all arrays in the City of Hundred Clans, jointly controlled by the three great clans.”
“But since Wubian is in the city, the Guanyun Array Tower has almost certainly fallen into the hands of the Darkness Temple.”
“Moreover, whether the Fire Ghost Clan, as one of the three great clans, will support us is of critical importance. So long as the three great clans stand united, the various minor clans in the City of Hundred Clans will surely stand with us. United, these forces are by no means as feeble as you imagine.”
When the City of Hundred Clans stood united, it could bargain with the Temple of Destiny and the Ten Great Clans. Naturally, its strength was extraordinary.
For Zhang Ruochen to bring the City of Hundred Clans under his control, the Fire Ghost Clan was an indispensable link.
His present cultivation was not yet sufficient. The time was not ripe to take the City of Hundred Clans, but he could use this incident to bind himself closely to it, laying the foundation for ruling it in the future.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the Jade Spirit God. “Each of the three great clans has gods of the Immeasurable Realm, yes? The Yasha Clan’s two old ancestors, the Demon Wolf Clan’s Wolf Ancestor, the Fire Ghost Clan’s Fire Ghost King. Below the Immeasurable Realm, Miss Han, are you the strongest?”
The Jade Spirit God replied, “Zhang Ruochen, you had best not underestimate the City of Hundred Clans. The strongest below the Immeasurable Realm is another. Speak plainly. What exactly do you wish to say?”
“Seize this opportunity. As the premier powerhouse below the Immeasurable Realm, purge the disobedient minor clans in the City of Hundred Clans, making it truly the City of Hundred Clans belonging to the three great clans. Of course, I suggest first dealing with those Yasha gods in the ancestral realm who wish to surrender and submit, lest they become lapdogs of the Darkness Temple.”
Zhang Ruochen could hear the conversations of the Yasha gods outside the temple and perceived hidden dangers within the clan.
To resist external foes, one must first secure the interior.
Zhang Ruochen rose to his feet. “Brother Ailian, the Yasha ancestral realm should have a spatial teleportation array leading to the Fire Ghost Clan’s ancestral realm. Take me there.”
The Jade Spirit God asked, “You intend to go to the Fire Ghost Clan alone?”
“The Fire Ghost Clan is hardly a dragon’s pool or tiger’s den. Would they dare to devour me?”
A look of disdain appeared on Zhang Ruochen’s face. He strode out of the temple, glanced at the hostile gazes of the Yasha gods outside, smiled, patted Lord Ailian on the shoulder, and walked away.
